


you shouldn't come closer

by kwoncity



Series: our love is made of stardust & the faint glowing of the moon [11]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, because i need to insert prince soonyoung everywhere i can, because their identity need to be preserved, but soonyoung befriends him instead, cant kill because its too cruel, elf prince soonyoung, forest elf au, human boy jihoon, jeonghan wonwoo and seokmin are all soonyoungs elven friends, jihoon shouldve been killed, jihoon wanders into the forest where the elves are, soonyoung is very soft for a prince
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-05 08:51:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17321828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwoncity/pseuds/kwoncity
Summary: the elves cannot allow anyone in, their identity must be kept hidden. but a human boy wanders into the forest and meets the elven prince.the elven prince— yet to have his first kill, unable to take the boys life. he goes against the rules of his kingdom, he befriends jihoon.





	you shouldn't come closer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [renee (shes not on ao3)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=renee+%28shes+not+on+ao3%29).



> i keep forgetting to post, someone sue me.

a common thing, in the forest of the dead, was the tree elves.

elves, taller and far more beautiful than human beings. so, so beautiful to the point where they take to killing to preserve the secret of their existence.

the elves habitat one forest, and one forest only, the xythen forest. but the xythen forest, better known by humans as 'the forest of the dead', was even more so captivating. the trees, tall and green, the floor littered with freshly fallen leaves. you could walk for a bit, and be greeted by ponds, water so clear you could see the very bottom. and then you would be greeted by the animals, a young fawn calling out for its mother, a white rabbit heading back to it's burrow. the xythen looked intangible, and it's beauty was luring.

but the elders said not to enter, the elders said it was dangerous, way too dangerous.

beauty is pain, and for the humans to enjoy the beauty of this forest, they must pay with their life.

soonyoung hid behind a tree, hand clutched to his bow and arrows stored behind his back. he watched the human boy cautiously enter the xythen. "don't come," he whispered, hand reaching for his arrow.

though immortal, soonyoung was still really young. while most of his peers were already thousands of years old, soonyoung was merely 19.

there were four of them, the young ones. soonyoung, wonwoo, jeonghan, and seokmin. blessed with young looks, soonyoung and the others would look like teenagers for life, though it would be frustrating to explain your age when you look like a child.

at the ripe age of 19, soonyoung had yet to make his first kill. having royal blood course through his veins, the young elven prince was ony allowed to leave the palace by himself after his 19th birthday.

unfortunately for him, it had to be his first time out alone where he would encounter a human boy.

"jeonghan always said killing was easy," the prince whispered to himself, jeonghan was the son of the king's head official, a frequent patroller of the xythen's borders. jeonghan used to follow his father, his first kill taking place at a young age.

like most elves, jeonghan's beauty did not reflect the fighter's blood in his veins. jeonghan was absolutely ethereal.

jeonghan was a year older than soonyoung, and soonyoung liked to take jeonghan's experiences as lessons.

"i warn you," soonyoung whispered, more to himself than to the human boy, "do not come closer."

the human boy sat down, he placed a canvas on his lap and dished out some painting supplies.

"the beauty of the xythen is not to be mimicked, father's orders." he whispered again.

"hide and observe, if you must. but never watch for too long. the evil that courses through their veins will corrupt you. make the kill as soon as possible."

soonyoung steps out into the open, no longer hiding. "what are you doing here?"

the boy looks up, soonyoung expects a look of fear, a tremble in his stance, a cowering expression. instead he was greeted by surprise, a chuckle, as if the boy had heard a joke. "why are you wearing that?"

"what?" who was this boy and how dare he talk as if there weren't mysterious deaths that occurred in this very forest.

"that thing, on your head. the weird gold leaf thingy. and what is with your outfit?"

had this boy just insulted the elven crown? soonyoung gripped his bow tighter and reached for one of his arrows. he had to kill this boy, he need to do it.

"why are you holding an arrow- wait, are you going to shoot me?"

soonyoung's grip loosened and his hand retreated, "no, of course not. what are you doing here? answer me."

"i came here to paint. i know it's the forest of death-"

"xythen, it's called the xythen. that's the proper name."

"uh, okay. i know people die here, but it was so pretty i couldn't resist. i needed the inspiration... what about you?"

"me?"

"yeah, what are you doing here? you look like you live here. isn't this forest infested with a killing force? how are you still alive?"

"i-" soonyoung fumbled for an answer, but he was never good at lying. before he could stop himself, the truth rolled off the tip of his tongue. "i'm the killing force. in fact, my father is the leader of it."

his eyes widened as he realized what he had just said, his hand flew to his mouth to prevent himself from revealing more.

"what? are you going to kill me? the thing killing people here are... people? wait, you're really pretty... i mean, really pretty and...you don't look human."

"that's because i'm not."

the human boy raise an eyebrow in confusion, "then... what are you?"

"i'm an elf."

"so that thing on your head is..."

"a crown. i'm the prince."

"the prince... wait, aren't you going to kill me then? i mean, i invaded your... xy..."

"xythen. but no, i'm not. but, you can't tell anyone of our existence, or else i might have to kill you."

"i promise you," he held out his pinky finger, "i won't tell anyone."

soonyoung pointed at the stuck-out finger, "what's that mean?"

"it's to secure a promise," jihoon explains, "stick out your pinky."

soonyoung does as the boy says, and he links their pinkys together. "this means that i'll keep my promise, we call it 'pinky promise'."

soonyoung's mouth forms an 'o' shape, seeming to understand what the boy had said.

"oh," the boy says, "look at the time. i'll have to go now. if i return tomorrow, will you be here?"

soonyoung shakes his head, "i can't promise you, but i'll try my best."

the boy grins, "my name's jihoon. and yours?"

"i'm prince kwon soonyoung, but you can call me soonyoung. or if you want, you could give me a nickname."

"soonie, i'll call you soonie. then, you can call me hoonie. i really have to go now, bye!" jihoon runs off and soonyoung stays at the same spot.

"hoonie," he tests the name, "soonie... i like the sound of that."

and maybe he was feeling a weird connection with the boy, jihoon. or maybe it was just because he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone yet. all he knows is that he wants to return to see the boy again.

when soonyoung returns to the palace, he heads for wonwoo.

wonwoo was soonyoung's best friend, they were of the same age. soonyoung usually went to wonwoo for advice and to confide things in for wonwoo was also the son of the royal advisor.

"he was really pretty, nu, i would've mistaken him for one of us if it weren't for his clothes and his aura."

"so, you didn't kill him because he was pretty?"

"more of because i've never killed before, i can't bring myself to do it."

"and now you're asking for advice?"

"yeah, please help me."

"meet him again tomorrow, bring jeonghan with you. he'll either psych you into killing him, or he'll do the killing himself."

soonyoung remained silent, he really didn't want to kill jihoon. in fact, he wanted to spend more time with jihoon.

"...is that the only option?"

wonwoo sighed, carefully picking his choice of words before opening his mouth. "there is another option, follow me."

he walked to the library with soonyoung trailing behind, his fingers caressed the spine of books as he searched for the one he was looking for.

"magical plants and herbs, edition five." he scanned through the pages, he flipped and flipped. page 54, that's the one he was looking for.

"the firemoss, best at memory modification. squeeze out it's juice, add a little bit of your DNA and you'll be able to modify all of his memories."

soonyoung grew silent, this wasn't what he had wanted either.

"this one, however, i do not recommend. the option is death, for the firemoss only grows outside our borders. until you are king, you cannot leave the borders without guards. surely if they follow, they'll kill the boy." he snaps the book close, "bring jeonghan tomorrow."

"the only option i have," soonyoung spoke cautiously, "is to kill the boy? you know fairly well that that's not what i want."

"and i know even better that that's your only choice. soonyoung, you of all people know that we can't let our existence be known. it's far too dangerous."

and yes, soonyoung knows, for how could he not? the exposure of their kind killed his own mother. he remembers, though he was only five when it had happened.

his mother loved walking by the borders. back then, their existence was known to a few humans.

then, one man said, "get me one of them, get me the prettiest, get me the queen."

and that man was of a high status, he had people venture in capture the queen for him. unfortunately for her, amidst the battle for the queen, one of the man's fighters had missed his target, an arrow now lodge in her throat.

the prince remembered the cries, the screams, the tears. the battle was what led jeonghan to be as gruesome as he is now.

the prince remembered his father's grim face as he announced that the existence of their kind should no longer be known to the humans. the soldiers of the elves ventured far and wide to be rid of every human with the knowledge of their kind, humans around the world were found dead with a single silver arrow lodged in their chest. no one knew why.

"we don't want history repeating itself, if it happens again, with this boy, it would be you."

"i don't know, nu, killing him is too gruesome."

wonwoo sighed, "my father always said that you have your mother's heart."

"my mother died."

"and you will too, if you don't be rid of that boy."

"i'll think about it, nu. thanks for your help."

and soonyoung did think about it, he thought about it so hard that he ended up needing another person to consult.

"minnie, help me please! i really don't know what to do!"

"you know the prophecy? the one about the crown prince?"

"no, why would i?" seokmin always knew these things, his father was the royal's school teacher. the best scholar in the country, ending up as the teacher for the royal family.

"there's a prophecy," seokmin begins, "about the 14th crown prince. that's you. it was said that the 14th crown prince would make a friend in the woods, a friend unlike us. there are two possibilities, one of them is that only if one of you dies, the other will survive."

"and what's the second possibility?"

"er, i actually can't seem to remember... sorry."

soonyoung sighs, visibly disappointed.

"it's alright. thanks, seokmin."

and the decision is up to himself, but he returns to see jihoon the next day anyways.

"oh, hey soonie!" jihoon smiles, it reaches his eyes.

"soonie," soonyoung whispers, he has yet to get used to that name. "oh hey jihoon..."

jihoon frowns, "i thought you would call me hoonie..."

"oh right, sorry, hoonie."

"why are you so down?"

"i'm sorry, there's just been some things on my mind."

"oh alright then, come check out this book i found!"

it's an old one, probably at least a hundred years old. "it's my grandfather's. he used the characters in this book to tell us stories. my father was fascinated by this one," he flips open the book, 'magical beings', the book was called. "tree elves."

jihoon looks down at the drawing of the elves and up at soonyoung. "it looks like you. is that what you are?" jihoon looks scared, "a tree elf?"

soonyoung nods, "that's my great grandfather, his painting hangs on our walls."

jihoon looks absolutely frightened, "y-you're... a tree elf?"

"yeah, what's wrong?"

jihoon looks at the arrows soonyoung carried, they were oddly familiar. "my father died when i was five, a single arrow stuck in his chest. they hit with accurate precision," jihoon points at another drawing in the book. "this was how it looked like," he then points at the arrows behind soonyoung's back, "it's the same one."

"let me ask you one thing," soonyoung started, "has he never told you of the existence of my kind?"

jihoon nodded, "i didn't know until i saw you."

"that's why you weren't killed, together with him. a great crime was committed by the humans, your kind. we lost my mother, the queen. death of all with knowledge of our existence was ordered."

"you're not going to kill me, are you?"

“no, i'm not.”

 

“... why?”

 

“it’s cruel, and unnecessary. i want to be your friend.”

 

“so, do you trust me?”

 

soonyoung stays silent, deciding that it's for the best.

 

“i can tell.”

 

“how?”

 

jihoon points at the arrows, “you wouldn't have brought that if you trusted me,” he blinks at soonyoung. “you still see me as a threat.”

 

soonyoung thinks it's stupid, that jihoon's making assumptions based on that. bringing the bow and arrows weren't his choice anyways, he can't leave the palace without it.

 

“it's because of my princely duties, i have to bring it around.”

 

“princely duties?” jihoon scoffs, “i sometimes forget you're one.”

 

soonyoung laughs, “jeonghan says that, says i'm too soft to be a prince, that i have to be more gruesome about killing.” he touches the crown on his head, “i don't think it's this either.”

 

“i like your crown,” jihoon mentions.

 

“you do?”

 

“yeah,” jihoon admits, “it's really pretty.”

 

“the golden leaves and flowers?”

 

“yeah, it's very elvish of you.”

 

soonyoung laughs, it comes out sweet and pretty. jihoon feels something spark inside him. “want to try it on?” he offers.

 

“can you do that?”

 

soonyoung shrugs, “no one has to know.”

 

“that's not very princely of you,” jihoon jokes, “i won't tell. but yes, i'd like to try.”

 

“pinky promise? soonyoung stretches out his pinky.

 

“pinky promise.” jihoon links his own with soonyoung's.

 

soonyoung gently removes the crown from his head and places on jihoon's. he gapes in awe at how the human boy looks in the elven crown. 

 

“you're beautiful,” it comes out as a breathy whisper, “you look like elven royalty.”and maybe, maybe soonyoung imagined what jihoon would've looked like as his husband, just maybe.

 

jihoon lets out a hearty laugh, happiness fills him to the brim. “do i really? that's amazing! elves are beautiful!”

 

soonyoung knows it's not a direct compliment, but he blushes anyways.

 

the next time soonyoung meets jihoon, he makes sure to leave his weapons behind a tree.

 

“you didn't bring them,” jihoon notices, a thick, warm feeling engulfs his chest.

 

slowly nodding, soonyoung smiles, “for you, i guess.” he places a flower crown on jihoon's head. it was very similar to his only difference being that soonyoung's was made of gold, and jihoons, flowers.

 

“does this make me an elf yet?” jihoon jokes, a wide smile on his face.

 

soonyoung's heart takes a huge leap as he laughs, bemused. “no, unfortunately, it doesn't.”

 

“pity,” jihoon admits. “i wanted to see your kingdom.”

 

soonyoung thinks of the wonders and beauties of the xythen, it's too sad jihoon would never be allow past the borders.

 

“i'll show it to you, one day.” it's an empty promise, soonyoung knows. but the smile on jihoon's face and the excitement coursing through his veins makes soonyoung think that he could lie, maybe just a little it.

 

it's false hope, and jihoon doesn't need to know that.

 

“you didn't bring jeonghan with you.” wonwoo states, “and you didn't kill him either.”

 

soonyoung was currently getting fitted for his new outfit, that was one of his many duties as a prince.

 

“what would you know?”

 

“that you've been sneaking out of the castle every day at a certain time?” wonwoo sneered, “you come back smiling like an absolute idiot!”

 

“i could've been berry picking for all you know, jeon.”

 

wonwoo takes a whiff of soonyoung's hair, “you reek of human, stupid.”

 

soonyoung takes a sniff of himself, and oh boy does he smell like a human. it's true that jihoon smells pleasant, but he's still a human, he still has the scent of one.

 

“i'm telling you this for your own good, soonyoung. we don't want history to repeat itself.” and in a much softer voice, wonwoo mutters. “i can't bear to lose you either.”

 

“wonwoo, you know fairly well that my father has appointed you as the heir should anything happen to me. i think you'd do far better. it really doesn't matter whether i get hurt or not.”

 

wonwoo stays silent, and soonyoung speaks again. “i want to get to know him, i want to end the ban.”

 

slowly, and softly, wonwoo asks a question that has been on the tip of his tongue ever since soonyoung went back to meet the boy. “you don't… have a crush on him, do you?”

 

“why, of course not!” soonyoung splutters, “at least,” he begin again, much softer this time. “i should hope not.”

 

when soonyoung and jihoon meet again, soonyoung brings him a present.

 

“a vial,” he places it on the palm of jihoon's hands. “water from our falls, it has the ability to heal any wound. except for one.”

 

“what is that?”

 

“a stab from the king's sword.”

 

“your father's?”

 

soonyoung nods, “and soon to be mine. use the vial wisely.”

 

jihoon smiles gratefully and lays down on soonyoung's lap.

 

“sorry, soonie. i'm really tired.” and soonyoung understands. he slowly cards his fingers through jihoon hair as drifts off to sleep.

 

but just as jihoon was about to fall asleep, he mutters something softly under his breath. “you're really pretty, soonie. i like you, a lot.”

 

soonyoung's heart lurches.

 

“wonwoo!” soonyoung bursts into wonwoo's room, “i think i like jihoon. like, really really like him.”

 

“well,” wonwoo places his book down. “how are you going to fix it?”

 

“what is there to fix?”

 

“for starters,” wonwoo begins, “your father is getting suspicious. he's noticed your patterns, how you've been exiting in and out of the xythen, how you come back with an odd smile. it's not long before he sends soldiers to kill the boy.”

 

soonyoung stiffens, the last thing he wants is for his first love to be killed by his own father.

 

despite wonwoo's warnings, soonyoung goes back to meet jihoon again.

 

“hey, hoonie. there's something i want to tell you.”

 

jihoon looks up, there's flowers braided in his hair and soonyoung thinks he looks absolutely ethereal.

 

“what is it?” there's a pretty smile gracing his features, soonyoung dreams of kissing in under the moonlight.”

 

“i know!” soonyoung is off to a dramatic start. “you're human, and i'm an elf! we're not even supposed to be friends, and yet… i think i've fallen for you.” soonyoung laughs nervously, “but you can't really blame me right? you look ethereal all the time, you always laugh gently and you're always here for me! and it's stupid, i know… because god forbid our kind to mix. i really really really like you. and you don't have to like me back, heck, you don't even have to care.”

 

jihoon pounces towards soonyoung, engulfing him in a big hug as their lips meet.

 

their kiss is soft, soft like the moon's glow, soft like cry of a baby deer when it is born, soft like the lakes waters as you regenerate your youth in them.

 

but alas, all good this must come to an end.

 

elves are very slient, swift, and graceful, even when they are riding into battle. they do not have loud stomping footsteps like the dwarves, and neither do they shout battle cries like the humans. they are always stealthy and unsuspecting.

 

but soonyoung, being another elf, was able to hear them. he knew they were approaching and he knew what they wanted: jihoon's life.

 

soonyoung breaks apart their kiss and jihoon looks at him with worried eyes.

 

“go,” soonyoung whispers, “run and never return. i'll find you one day, but run if you want to live, they're after you.”

 

“promise me that you'll come find me, please?”

 

“pinky promise.”

 

so jihoon runs.

 

soonyoung doesn't break his promise, he finds jihoon again. only this time, he isn't alone.

 

his father's with him, along with some soldiers as wells as his friends and their fathers.

 

soonyoung's hands are gripped tightly by his father, and he doesn't dare to move.

 

“is this the boy soonyoungie?”

 

soonyoung slowly nods, fear hidden behind his eyes.

 

jeonghan looks excited, “a pleasure it is to witness our prince's first kill!” he had winked at soonyoung.

 

of course, jeonghan hadn't had a clue on the whole story.

 

wonwoo looked as if he didn't want to be there, as if he didn't want any one of them to be there.

 

seokmin looked anxious, as if there was something he wanted to say. “father,” seokmin turned to his father, “the prophecy.”

 

“silence, seok. this is an occasion and it is not the time to ruin it with pointless banter.”

 

“soonyoung?” jihoon whimpered, he was afraid, he was unsure.

 

“i'm so sorry, hoonie.”

 

“SILENCE.” the king had ordered.

 

soonyoung looked at jihoon with apologetic eyes, and jihoon understood. soonyoung had no choice.

 

but there was a glint in the pocket of jihoon's pants, soonyoung noticed. it was vial.

 

unfortunately, soonyoung wasn't the only one that noticed. “he has the vial! hand me my sword!” it was the king.

 

soonyoung gulped. if jihoon were to be stabbed by the king's sword, there would be no way to heal him, death would be inevitable.

 

“my son, prince kwon soonyoung of the xythen.”

 

soonyoung swallowed down the lump in his throat, “yes, father.”

 

“you are amazing, and i am very very proud of you. however, you have also disappointed me. yet there is one way for you to redeem yourself.” he hands soonyoung the sword, “kill him.”

 

soonyoung takes a step towards jihoon, tears streaming down his eyes. “i'm sorry, jihoon.” he whispers, “i love you.”

 

he lifts the sword, he angles it well. he estimates the power needed, and he starts to move it. but in the last second, he stops. “i'm sorry.” he breaks down. “i...i-i can't.”

 

the king sighs, “jeonghan, you know what to do.”

 

jeonghan bows, “my pleasure, your majesty.”

 

and soonyoung cries even harder, because no, he just can't kill jihoon. jihoon was precious, he was made of feathers and white powder and fairy dust. he was nothing but innocent, wandering into the pretty forest for some inspiration. but they just had to kill him. soonyoung couldn't do it, because jihoon has brought nothing but happiness into his life. jihoon always had a pretty smile and would lovingly called soonyoung “soonie”. jihoon had done nothing wrong.

 

but the king doesn't see that, the soldiers don't see that. instead, they see him as a threat, a filthy human who's generation before had killed the elven queen.

 

the king orders for jeonghan to do it, and jeonghan puts his hands onto soonyoung's, gripping the sword tightly. he tells soonyoung that everything's alright, and he wedges the sword into jihoon chest. jihoon screams from the pain before lying motionless, blood pooling onto the floor. soonyoung screams and he cries, he cries so so so hard, because his hoonie isn't here anymore.

 

because soonyoung hadn't wanted his father to kill his first love, but he had killed his first love instead.

 

and nothing was going to be alright.

 

seokmin was the first to speak up. “your majesty, if you may allow me, i have something to say.”’

 

the king nods, for jihoon is already dead. 

 

“the prophecy, it reads: the 14th elven prince will make a friend in the woods, there are two possible outcomes. the first one being: the death of one in exchange for the survival of the other. meaning, one of them must die. however, the second possible outcome is that the kingdom would prosper in harmony with another kind.” seokmin nods, as he steps back, leaving the king some space to think.

 

the kingdom could've prospered harmoniously with humans, but jihoon's dead now, and he's not ever coming back to life.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my cousin, renee, for giving me this plot!


End file.
